


You give me heart palpitations

by gumamela



Category: ITZY (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Barista Ryujin, Best girl Lee Chaeryeong, College girl Lia, Cupid Chaeryeong, F/F, Fluff, Lia likes Ryujin A LOT, Ryujin goes on a date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26409514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumamela/pseuds/gumamela
Summary: Ryujin always loved seeing people meeting at the cafe for their blind dates. She just never thought she would be one of them.
Relationships: Choi Jisu | Lia/Shin Ryujin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 80





	You give me heart palpitations

**Author's Note:**

> This was a drabble I quickly wrote for a Twitter prompt "why don't you drink coffee?"
> 
> This has been posted on Twitter already and I thought I could expand on it a little bit more.

If there's one thing Ryujin loved about working as a barista, it's seeing people meet up for their blind dates. She never eavesdropped on them or anything, it's just most of them are painfully awkward and loud. Someone usually waits sitting at the two-seater table, phone in hand, nervously texting their friends, and obsessively combing their hair with their fingers. And then the other person comes and you can immediately tell how the mood shifts in the entire cafe. The awkward greeting, the shy smiles, and the stolen glances were not to be missed. 

But Ryujin never expected to be the one sitting on the two-seater table, fiddling with her phone, and nervously running her fingers through her hair for the nth time. She never thought she would be in the awkward situation, waiting for her date in the very cafe she works at no less. She doesn't know why she agreed to the meeting, maybe she was bored, but maybe she just wanted to get Chaeryeong off her back. 

Ryujin was too much of a loner, Chaeryeong said. Despite being a total charmer as a barista, she kept to herself, a total introvert who doesn't like people. As much as possible, Ryujin avoided crowds and meeting new people. It’s ironic how she’s a barista, a job required to be friendly to every waking customer. 

According to Chaeryeong, Ryujin doesn’t know the effect she has on her customers. Ryujin always had a way with words and her low voice seems to have attracted most of their patrons because they always just stay a little bit longer when it’s Ryujin on cash or Ryujin making the drinks. They always lingered asking nonsensical questions. Most of them even overshared, from their friend dramas to what they’re doing over the weekend. Clearly, some of the students come to see Ryujin, not for the coffee. 

But there was one who came for both. And Chaeryeong decided to play cupid. 

_'you're gonna go bald if you don't stop touching your hair'_

Ryujin looked up from her phone and glared at the barista behind the counter. Chaeryeong offered her a smile and mouthed "relax" before pocketing her phone and turning to take the next customer's order. She made a face and went back to playing solitaire on her phone.

As ordinary as that game was, solitaire made Ryujin calm. She would spend her breaks playing solitaire and would even play solitaire until she fell asleep.

Too engrossed in her game, Ryujin didn't realize the figure in front of her until she cleared her throat and called out her name. 

"Ryujin?" 

And the nerves came running back. 

Ryujin hastily put her phone away and stood up, hitting her knee on the table in the process. She paid no mind but it really hurt, her inner Ryuddaeng wincing and screaming in pain at her idiocy. 

"Lia! You're here! Hi!" Ryujin screamed at the whole cafe. In her peripheral vision, she could see Chaeryeong face palming herself while she was steaming milk. 

Lia was a regular customer. A student at the university across the cafe and came to the cafe almost every night Ryujin is in to "work" on her homework. She was obvious at her adoration towards Ryujin. She would look at Ryujin for too long from where she was sitting, openly flirt with her whenever she came and ordered and she would even initiate skinship whenever she handed her payment. Lia was one of those students who lingered to talk to Ryujin about anything and everything. One night, she stayed until closing time to walk Ryujin to the bus stop. Lia was whipped for Ryujin and she did not hide it. 

But Ryujin was oblivious. She never saw the heart eyes Lia made whenever she flashed her smile at her or how Lia became like a melted ice cream whenever Ryujin ran her fingers through her hair. Ryujin never saw how Lia sometimes stopped herself from reaching out to pinch her cheeks when her whisker dimples would show up on her face. Ryujin was blind and Chaeryeong was suffering for Lia. 

So Chaeryeong got to work and that was how they ended up sitting face to face, too close for Ryujin's liking. But to be honest, Ryujin didn't not like the distance. It was that she was nervous to be seated across the most beautiful girl she has ever met (according to her diary entry). 

Ryujin would never admit it but she thought differently about Lia from the other students who came. Lia had a different aura. She was prim and proper, always dressed in the most expensive clothing but she was never cocky. She was elegant. She was grace. Ryujin thought her laugh was the best sound she ever heard. She never knew it herself, but the more Lia came, the more she stripped down her walls and put herself out there, for Lia. Unbeknownst to her, she liked hearing Lia’s stories even if she never got a chance to say anything back to her. She just listened. 

Unknowingly, Ryujin would always tuck her hair behind her ears whenever Lia came, like right now, sitting across Lia, gripping her cup too tightly. 

"Why don't you drink coffee?" Lia asked after a whole ten minutes of awkward silence. "For a barista, I thought you'd be obsessed with it." She eyed the water Ryujin was drinking - just plain water with ice - and looked at her questioningly.

Ryujing shifted in her seat, scratching the back of her neck. How was she supposed to say that caffeine would just make her more nervous in front of Lia? 

"Uh, uh I-I-" she was stuttering. Ryujin felt defeated and decided to hell with it. She was never one to lie or make excuses. What could go wrong if she just spilled everything? 

"Uhm, I'm really nervous right now," Ryujin chuckled. "And if I drink any more caffeine, I would have heart palpitations." Ryujin ran her fingers through her again and shyly looked at Lia, eyes just a little glossy, cheeks just a little bit tinted. "Uhm, I mean I already have heart palpitations because of you and well, the coffee would just make it worse, haha." 

"Oh?" Lia said surprised, a small smile playing at her lips. "I give you heart palpitations?" 

"It's more like an air show really..." Ryujin looked down, her hands playing with the cup. 

"And here I thought I was going on this date all one sided with my crush." Lia sighed in relief and laughed. 

"Good to know I'm not the only one with the butterflies."

**Author's Note:**

> Thought it would be cute to have Barista Ryujin actually crushing on College girl Lia despite keeping to herself and playing solitaire all the time haha
> 
> Follow me on twitter @flowerforryu


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